The Chief of General Staff Meets with the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee

The Chief of General Staff, General Nicolae Ciucă, and a group of experts had a second meeting with General Mikhail Kostarakos, the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee, on Friday, March 3, during the latter’s official visit in Romania.

The agenda included talks on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the nations’ contributions to ongoing projects. They also analyzed the participation of the Romanian military in EU and NATO missions under CSDP aegis and in the battle groups, as well as the developments of the security situation in Eastern Europe. Our country’s political and military intentions and priorities were presented in the perspective of taking over the rotational presidency of the European Union Council in the first semester of 2019.

“We discussed topics high on EU agenda, mainly the ones related to the Common Security and Defence Policy. Last but not least we talked of the challenge of the presidency of the EU Council in the first semester of 2019, at a time of high efervescence at European level” General Ciucă said.

In turn, General Kostarakos said that “through the Common Security and Defence Policy the European Union, member and partner states have a strong role to play, that should be based on the security and development connection” and spoke highly of the Romanian military involvement in the CSDP missions and operations.
The visit in Romania was meant to enhance the visibility of CSDP activities and their impact, as an illustration of EU operational commitment to promote and maintain a peace and stability environment, at European and global level.